A new report released by Freedom House, a pro-democracy and non-governmental organization, states that “the COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on freedoms around the world.”
According to the report, Iran was also investigated by this body, but the report did not publish details about the situation in Iran.
The report was published under the title “The state of democracy through quarantine policy: the impact of COVID-19 on the world struggle for freedom.”
From March to September, the researchers surveyed 400 journalists, cultural activists and other political and democracy experts. The goal was to study how the COVID-19 pandemic affected freedom in 192 countries.
As a result, the conditions for democracy and human rights in 80 countries have worsened since the spread of coronary heart disease. According to the report, the states used the corona issue as an excuse to silence the opposition, marginalize minorities and control information.
According to the report, 64 percent of those surveyed said Kovid-19 would have a negative impact on democracy in the next three to five years.
The report touches on the ways in which states abuse this disease.
One way is the abuse of power. 59 out of 192 countries have abused their power through restrictions, guarantors and other preventive measures.
Sara Repucci, the author of the report, said that these methods are the most inventive in Zimbabwe:
“The police used the quarantine issue as an excuse to beat and arrest people. Zimbabwe has made extensive use of COVID-19 restrictions to intimidate, harass and physically attack dissidents. ”
Zimbabwean police have used force to arrest at least 12 health workers and workers who gathered in the alley to demand better wages and better working conditions.
A number of political parties in various countries have used this virus as an excuse for their political actions against the opposition, which has been on the agenda before.
Sara Repuchi added that “under the pretext of the virus, there have been many attacks on minorities, even before the pandemic, including the crackdown on Muslims in India.”
The second abuse of the Corona issue is data control. According to the report, while coronavirus is spreading in 91 of 192 countries, some restrictions have been imposed on the media as an excuse for the virus. States have used harassment, arrests, and intimidation against journalists covering COVID-19.
